Vengeful (Villains, 2)

Wow, what a ride. Right after I finished reading Vicious I didn’t wait long at all to order Vengeful. Since I enjoyed Vicious so much, I had high expectations for this sequel and it did not disappoint. I have become a big fan of Schwab’s writing. She just keeps you reading on and on. There is never a dull moment. I’m truly satisfied with the ending of this duology -I’m crossing my fingers Schwab writes a third book at some point though- I love all of the new and old characters. I could have used more story development around previous characters I became fond of, but, overall, I loved the way the story came to be. I wasn’t a big fan of the back and forth timelines though. It was okay in Vicious, but in this one, it felt a bit exhausting. You would be reading a few pages about something that took place 3 years ago and then the next chapter would be about something that took place 2 weeks ago with a whole different character and it would sometimes be another 10 chapters before you would go back to reading about that same character.I would often have to flip back in the book to try and remember what was going on in that character’s story. Despite this, I still give this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and I would highly recommend it to anyone!

Ms. Victoria Schwab has accomplished in creating a compelling sci-fi story where I question my own sense of morality. Vengeful is the sequel to Vicious — a story of med-students who obtain superpowers and play god as they seek to destroy each other. It is hard talk about Vengeful without spoiling the master piece that is Vicious. It is hard to describe my feelings and thoughts about Vengeful, while I thought the book was brilliant in prose and plot, it did not feel brilliant. Just like Vicious, Vengeful introduces to us a cast of questionable characters who are neither good or bad (well maybe quite bad) but certainly not evil. That’s the thing about Vicious that I loved, it truly showed that a villain is the hero of his own story. And in Vengeful we explored that same concept. Victor is back, but not completely, his powers are working against him and he is desperate to find someone to fix him. This desperation is the key motive for many of the characters in Vengeful. Eli’s desperation to be set free. Sydney’s desperation to bring back her sister. Marcela’s desperation to become powerful. June’s desperation to seek revenge but be loved. Stell’s desperation to complete his life’s work. Desperation leads people to make some morally gray decisions. Ms. Schwab’s masterful writing allows the reader to truly get inside the character’s head and understand the core of their soul and what drives their decision making. It makes you re-think your sense your morality, for these characters didn’t want to cause death nor destruction. They just wanted revenge on the people who hurt them. Which is a very human thing to do something (minus the superpowers). However, I felt something was missing. There was something about Vicious that truly resonated in me that Vengeful did not, but I still can’t figure out why? I’m not saying I didn’t enjoy Vengeful, I truly did! It was brilliant and Ms. Schwab is a fantastical story-teller. But one could can enjoy a book without being completely obsessed with it? Like always Ms. Schwab’s writing is precise and sharp just like fresh sharpened steak knife. Her way with words and language is divine. She has the perfect amount of dialogue and prose mixed together to keep the readers engage and falling in love with the prose. Aside from my personal unknown dissonance, Vengeful is a sequel you must read! Test your sense of morality and root for characters who shouldn’t be cheered on. This actioned packed tale is one that will leave you wanting for more!

*lays down, stares at ceiling* wow that ending send help for my emotional state I love how the individual threads with the different POVs intersected finally and wow the ending left room for mooooore which i love of course but ouuuuch some parts just hurt. my poor emotions. Apart from my regular faves of Syd, Victor and Mitch and Eli i loved all the new characters we were introduced to. They were all so intriguing and I was riveted by their back stories and how their present stories unfolded. Marcella was an amazing character. as was June and they're so different but equally interesting. I'm particular interested in learning more about one character, Rios, I hope we see her again. Again we have the same non linear timeline, where we go back to 5 years ago then back to the present, as it morphs into a sort of countdown to the big showdown! and it was worth the wait! The timeline shifts were well done, i was never confused. It only had me excited for getting to the present day events to see how it would all play out and i wasn't disappointed but my poor heart! I hope we get more in this world because my heart needs mending ok!

Returning to Victor and Eli's world in Vengeful was a pleasure even if this installment did not quite match the propulsive energy of Vicious for me. Schwab's storytelling remains sharp and the moral complexity that made the first book so compelling is still very much present. The new villain is a particular standout, a mobster type whose specific brand of awful is so well drawn that you find yourself rooting for her in spite of everything she does. That is Schwab doing what she does best. Where Vengeful lost a step for me was in some of the new characters introduced to serve the plot. A couple of them felt engineered to exist because their specific powers made the story work rather than feeling like people who belonged in this world organically. It is a minor complaint but it kept me from being as fully hooked as I was with the original. Still a great read and four stars is not a knock on the book so much as a reflection of how high Vicious set the bar. If you loved Vicious do not hesitate to continue. Schwab is clearly building toward something and I have a feeling the final book is going to be explosive. Four stars. A worthy continuation that leaves you hungry for what comes next.

I thought that Vicious was dark and twisted, but Vengeful went even further. The gray areas are all but black at times, and I still found myself cheering for... the villain? Victor is just as calculated as ever, with a singular focus. Although he still manages to show humanity when it concerns the very small number of people he cares about. His vengeance from Vicious turns out to not be as sweet as he thought it would be, with his actions leading to some seriously chilling consequences. Eli is just psycho, but magnetic as well. The author does such a good job of making you care for even this evil villain, to the point where you cheer for him too at one point. The real driving force of this one is June though. She ties all of these loose threads together and helps to bring the plot to an epic climax that had my heart racing. That ending though... I am almost positive that something crazy happened. Although it is really hard to tell what... Good thing the author is finishing up writing on book three this year!

It started out good and the climax of the story was very gripping. But I feel like there were too many character stories to track, it got very busy. Still a great plot though. I just think if the author would’ve stuck to the original cast plus Marcella, it would’ve still hit the same. All and all I think I will however finish the series when the next one comes out!

Very very very cool. it doesn't disappoint at all, and the first one was already really good. The beginning probably leaves you a bit perplexed, especially because you wouldn't expect what's happening to poor Victor ("poor" in quotes obviously ahahha). There's a lot of backstory for the various characters, which at times I really appreciated and at other times I hated because it was very slow, but they give a lot of information and allow you to understand how the characters are made and what they think. SPOILER!!! I hated the fact that June didn't have a well-defined backstory. Sure, this would leave room for a third book, but damn, what if there wasn't a third? June's character had a lot of potential and well, so it seems a bit left there. For the rest, a great book

This is such a good series. I thoroughly enjoy it. Victor Vale should have his own series, not going to lie. I love all the characters but, his morally grey anti-found-family dynamic with a deeper thread could be very compelling. But, yes, I’ve loved this series so far.

This was my most anticipated book of the year and not only did it not disappoint, it exceeded all my hopes. It's seamless, compelling, utterly gripping. Once again, Schwab excels at crafting complex and nuanced characters who walk the line between hero and villain. The female characters in particular are alight with intelligence and much-needed, unapologetic, autonomy. VENGEFUL is not just the sequel to VICIOUS, it's an action-packed, expertly crafted, story that stands on its own merit; a bullet of a book that strikes right in the heart of both the reader and the world of established power dynamics. An absolutely stunning book.

I was eagerly looking forward to this book. I must say it met and surpassed my expectations. The characters in this series are among the most compelling I have ever come across in any book. It's great to have a protagonist and an antagonist who could switch sides so easily. Both Victor and Eli were excellently written and they feel very consistent with who they were in the first book. The other characters are also fully fleshed out. The tension that the author creates as the book approaches its climax was palpable. It reminded me of the first book. Overall, this book is a worthy sequel to Vicious and concludes the story.

L'histoire est ennuyante et très répétitive difficile à suivre vu que il revient dans le temps assez souvent je conseille pas je conseille pas

Vengeful é a sequência que você não sabia que queria. Embora Vicious tenha um final bem fechado, e que deixa o leitor com receio de uma sequência à história, Vengeful chega à altura de seu antecessor e talvez seja até melhor. Os novos personagens introduzidos são tão interessantes e bem construídos quanto os que já conhecemos e mesmo assim, a autora não se perde com relação à história de Eli e Victor, o laço que ainda existe entre os dois. Essa talvez seja uma das melhores sequências que eu já li na vida.

Loved this book - great sequel to the first. I love the jumping back and forth through time element as you get to know the characters.